Reverse vending machines (RVMs) have several areas of use, for example an RVM may be used for recycling containers such as cans or bottles made of plastics or metals and which are e.g. used for beverages. After registration or identification of a container inserted into the RVM used for recycling, a container compressing arrangement, also known as a crusher, is used to compress or crush the container to minimize the space needed to store recycled cans or bottles, and possibly to ensure that cans and bottles may not be recycles a second or further time. A container compressing arrangement used for crushing used beverage containers typically comprises two counter-rotating shafts having teeth or other means for grabbing the cans or bottles and compressing or crushing them between the two shafts as they rotate. The shafts are supported by bearing in order to rotate. The containers often contain residual liquids to some extent at the time of recycling. When the containers are being crushed or compressed, the residual liquid splashes inside the compressing arrangement, and especially on and along the shafts.
Some liquids, such as soda, are both acidic and have high sugar content. Liquids with high sugar content will over time build up sticky residue, i.e. a coating of sugar as the liquid evaporates. Hence, there is a need for an improved drainage of the reverse vending machine.